I have just returned from Dharan, Saudi Arabia, where I co-hosted the inaugural Sync Digital Wellbeing Summit and had the pleasure of joining Simon Sinek, optimist and leadership expert, for a virtual fireside chat.
Simon spoke candidly about his efforts to maintain a balanced relationship with tech and offered some practical tips for those struggling with digital addiction. 📱
1. During meetings, put your phone in airplane mode and leave it in your bag – You avoid the fear of missing out, because no messages are coming through.
2. When out to dinner with friends, swap phones. Turn off notifications and hand your phone over to a friend. Even when you go the restroom, you don’t use this as an opportunity to check your phone!
3. Except for phone calls, turn off notifications for every app (even email). Check your phone on your own terms.
4. If you and a partner are leaving the house together, and returning together, take one (or even no) phone!
5. Don’t charge your phone in the bedroom. Break the habit of checking devices when you’re in bed, and as soon as you get out of bed.
“When you take those devices away, and you physically don’t have them, it’s incredibly relaxing. It’s actually wonderful to not have the phone with us, and be present for other people.”
Drawing on his book ‘The Infinite Game’, Simon highlighted that digital wellness is like physical wellness; “it is a pursuit not an event.”
Our relationship with tech is something we should all be aware of, and continually strive to improve.